Manual and automatic switch timer



April 21, 1 933 R. L. BOYLES MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC SWITCH TIMER iled May 23, 1951 2 SHEETS -SHEET 1 5% Invent or:

37 Robert LBoyles A him His Abborneg Ifiventor'. Robert LB gles,

His Attorney.

April 21, 1953 R BcbYLEs MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC SWITCH TIMER med May 23, 1951 2 srmmsP-sxwm 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor to General Electric Company,

tion of New York a corpora.

Application May 23, 1951, Serial No. 227,888

(Cl. ISL-1) Claims; 1

My invention relates to a switch operating timer by means of which a switch may be operated automatically at a predetermined adjustable time and provided with means for opening or closing the same switch manually at any time. and suspending automatic control thereof temporarily or indefinitely. The main object of my invention is to provide a single manual adjusting device, (1) for setting the time at which an automatic switch operation will occur, (2) for opening and closing the switch manually and (8) for conditioning the timer for automatic or nonautomatic operation, and in this respect may be considered as an improvement of the timer described in United States Patent No. 2,421,986, June 10, 1947, to Bohman, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. My control mechanism may be used where the automatic operation occurs in response to the rotation of either a 12-hour or a 24-hour cam.

The features of my invention which are believed to be novel and patentable will be pointed out in the claims appended hereto. For a better understanding of my invention reference is made in the following description to. the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a perspective. exploded View of a timer embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a face View of the timer of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of the setting and adjusting shaft in an intermediate axial position; Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a control ac.- tuator used in my invention; Fig. 6 shows a side view of a switch operating cam and cam follower used in my invention with thelatter in the depression of the cam; Fig. 7 is like Fig. 6 but with the cam follower raised off the cam; Fig. 8 is like Fig. 6 with the cam follower resting on. the raised surface of the cam; Figs. 9 and 10 show details of a modified cam and cam follower,

The timer to be described includes a synchronous motor-driven clock, the motor stator, field. and gear reduction casing being designated in: Fig. l by the numerals I, 2, and 3, respectively, A gear 4 is driven by the motor through the. reduction gearing enclosed within casing 3, andthis latter gear drives through further speed reducing gears including a gear 5' to operate the minute hand shaft 6 in a clockwise. direction at one revolution per hour. The hollow hour hand shaft 1 is driven through back gears 8, 9, l0, and H in a clockwise direction at one revolution in twelve hours. Minut and hour hands l2- and i3 are secured on their respective shafts and indi' cate with respect to a clock dialas shown in F'ig'.

2. 2. The clock may be set by a front button M on the minute hand shaft, a slip friction clutch at l5 permitting such setting.

A switch operating cam shaft I6 and a time setting dial H are driven through a slip friction clutch at l8 from the shaft of back gears 9 and M. The time setting dial H is one a hollow shaft is and is driven through gears 20 and 2! at one revolution in twelve hours in a clockwise direction and hence ordinarily rotates with the hour hand l3, and a pointer 22 which is a rearward extension of the hour hand I3 indicates on dial ll the time for which the cam shaft I6 is set for an automatic switching operation. The cam shaft IE will ordinarily be driven at one revolution in twelve or twenty-four hours. In the present example it is driven at one revolution in twenty-four hours through gears 23 and 24 and has on it a cam 25 for actuation of the cam follower and switch operating lever 26.

The cam 25- has a depression 21 therein with nearly radial rise and fall surfaces so that the cam follower can drop therein but cannot ride radially outward. The cam follower lever is made flexible in a sidewise' direction, and its cam contacting portion 28 lies at the. extreme lower edge; thereof and at an angleof about 45 degrees to the axis of rotation oftfhe' cam shaft and cam and hence while the cam follower cannot ride out of depression 211 in a radial direction, it may be pushed out sideways and hence does not block rotation of the cam. I The cam rotates in a clockwise direction and" hence the cam follower 26 will be pushed out of the depression 21 to the front as viewed in Fig. 1. This pushed-out position of the cam follower is represented in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The cam follower lever 26 is pivoted at 29 on an axis parallel" with the axis of cam shaft i6 and is provided with anextension 3U beyond the pivot. This extension 30 is made of insulating material and bears downward against a resilient. switch contact member 3|. Switch contact member 3| is biased upward towards a second switch contact member 32'. The contacts are normally biased to a closed condition and will close when the cam follower 28 drops into the depression in the cam or is otherwise moved from a raised to such lowered position. When the cam follower rests at any point: on the raised portion of cam 25 or is raised above the cam, cam follower lever extension 3| pressesdownon contact 3| and opens the switch contacts; A variety of switching arrangements may be used with my invention, and it is not limited to a normallyclosed single throw 3 switch which is held open when the lever 26 is in a raised position.

The switch contacts are supported by an insulating support at 33 and are provided with terminal facilities at 34 for connection in the circuit to be controlled. In Fig. 1 the parts are positioned with the switch contacts open, with the cam follower 28 resting upon araised surface portion of cam.25 and, assuming the clock to be in operation, is about to drop into the cam depression 2'! and allow the switch contact 3i to close against contact 32,, Thereafter as the I cam rotates, the cam follower "part 28 will be pushed forward out of the depression in its lowered position as represented inidotted lines in Fig. 4, and switch contacts 3| and 32 will remain closed.

Provision is made for setting the cam shaft and dial 11 relative to clock time so as to adjust the time when the'above described automatic switching operation will occur. For this purpose the rotary setting shaft 35 is provided. It is provided with athumb piece 36 accessible from the front of the clock and with a gear 3'! which when meshed with gear 28 allows the cam shaft I6 and its cam and the dial I? to be rotatively adjusted relative to clock time by reason of slippage at clutch I8. I Setting shaft 35 is movable axially to mesh and demesh gears 3'! and 24 for other purposes to be described. The gear 24 may have a circular scale of time graduations inscribedthereon to rotate past a window 38 in the clock dial to show the setting in the number of hours or other time units before the automatic switching operation previously described will occur. In the case of the 24-hour timer the graduations on gear 24 will be from 0 to 24 hours as represented, 0 being opposite the window when the cam '25 is in position to close switch 3l32. This is helpful in preventing mistakes in setting, particularlywith respect to distinguishing between a. m. and p. m. settings in a 24-hour timer.

It will be understood that dial I! is so rotatively related to cam shaft i5 that pointer 22 will indicate on dial I! the clock time for which the device is set. Thus, in Fig. 2, the setting is for an automatic switch operation shortly beforeS 00 oclock, and the indication in window 38 shows that such setting is with respect to the presently indicated clock time and not twelve hours later.

As indicated previously, the switch comprising contacts 3! and 32 is to be operated manually by use of the button 36 and to accomplish this object, I provide the actuator best shown in Fig. 5 which is rotatively mounted on cam shaft [6 just to the rear of cam 25 and which is provided with a hub 39 for that purpose. This actuator has a gear sector 40 with which gear 31 is adapted to mesh when the shaft 35 is moved to the rear. In the exploded perspective view of Fig. '1 this is represented for convenience by a second gear but in the actual construction, a single gear 31 is used and the spacing relation between gear sector 40 of the actuator, gear 37 and gear 25 is more nearly as represented in Fig. 3. Hence, it is to be understood that gear 31 may be demeshed from gear 24 and meshed with gear sector 4!] by moving shaft 35 to the rear, and that in an intermediate position of gear 31, indicated in Fig. 3, it is out of mesh with both. The shaft 35 has a knob on its rear end which, when the shaft is pushed to the rear to mesh gear 31 with gear sector 40, is grasped between resilient detent fingers M, and this retains the shaft in this posi- 4 tion until forcibly removed by pulling the shaft forward. Also, the resilient detent imposes sufficient friction with respect to the rotation of shaft 35 to prevent rotation of shaft 35 and the actuator due to gravity or Vibration, although these parts are easily rotated by turning shaft 35 by the thumb piece 35. There is a hub extension 31a to the rear of gear 31 which acts as a stop against clock plate 37b to limit the travel of shaft 35 and correctly position the same when pushed to the rear, and the gear 31 itself stops against the front clock plate 310 to limit its travel when pulled out.

. The actuator gear sector 40 is made sufiiciently resilient in a sideways direction that in case its teeth and those of gear 31 are not in alignment initially during a gear meshing operation, no harm is done. In such a case the gear sector is simply sprung to the rear slightly until shaft 35 is turned to align the gear teeth and then gear sector 43 snaps into mesh by a return sidewise movement.

The actuator is provided with two forward extending arms 42 and 48 at different radial positions. Arm 42 extends beneath cam follower lever ZB'and is used for the purpose of lifting cam follower part 23 of such lever away from cam 25 when the actuator is turned in a clockwise direction. Fig. 7 shows the position of the parts following such a lifting operation. Fig. 6 shows the position of the parts just following an automatic switch closing operation where cam follower part 28 has dropped into the depression 21 in cam 25. From such a position, Fig. 6, the switch may be immediately opened manually by pushing in on button 36 and turning it counterclockwise. This results in the condition shown in Fig. '7.

If it is desired that the switch remain open indefinitely and subsequent automatic operation be suspended until the device is reset for automatic operation, the gear 37 is left in mesh with gear sector 40 in the rotary position shown in Fig. 7. v The friction on shaft 35 occasioned by the resilient detent at 4! will hold the actuator in the position shown in Fig. 7 with cam follower lever 36 raised and the switch open. It will of course be understood that the operation just described for lifting the cam follower may be performed at any time and for any rotary position of cam 25, and hence, may be used not only to open the switch when closed but also to prevent its closing automatically at the next automatic closing period.

If after the actuator has been positioned as shown in Fig. 7, it .be desired that the device be set to close the switch automatically at the next automatic operating period, the gear 3? is demeshed from gear sector 60. Friction of detent 4! is now removed from the actuator. The weight of lever 26 resting on arm 42 tends to turn the actuator counterclockwise but to prevent this, in the form of the invention shown, I prefer to provide a shallow notch at 43 in the lower edge of the cam follower lever 26 into which arm 42 may be engaged to look the lever in the raised position. Thus, when the switch has been closed automatically, it may be opened manually and immediately and it will stay open even though the actuator gear be demeshed immediately. The cam follower lever may be unlocked manually by turning the actuator counterclockwise through button 36 and the intermediate gearing, and it may be unlocked automatically by providing the cam 25 with a rise such as shown at point 44 sufiicient to engage and lift the cam follower part 28 so that the notch 43 is lifted sufiiciently above arm 42 for arm 42 to clear the notch 43 in rotating counterclockwise, and the actuator is released and turns by gravity or otherwise in a counterclockwise direction. This automatic unlocking action is shown in Fi 8.

The actuator may be so counterweighted, or I may provide a light spring as shown at 45 in Fig. l to assure that the actuator will turn counterclockwise when thus released. In Fig. 1 the spring 45 is secured between a stationary part 41 and the actuator and produces a light bias on the actuator in a counterclockwise direction but not sufficient to turn the actuator against the friction imposed by detent 4| when gear sector 40 is meshed with gear 3?.

Thus, turning the actuator to the position of Fig. 7 and leaving the shaft 35 pushed in assures that the switch will remain open, while turning the actuator to the position of Fig. 7 and pulling shaft 35 out to disengage gears 3'! and 46 permits of the immediate opening of the switch following an automatic closing operation but conditions the device for an automatic switch closing operation at the next subsequent automatic switch closing time. Thus, if the device be used as an alarm clock where the switch closes an alarm circuit, the user may immediately turn off the alarm when awakened and at the same time condition the device for alarming at the next alarm period, or he may shut it on? so that it will remain off permanently. In case the cam 25 rotates once in twelve hours instead of once in twenty-four hours and is used only as an alarm clock, the shaft 35 would normally be left in the pushed-in position until after the evening alarm period and then pulled out to condition the device for the morning alarm. The automatic unlocking feature is not essential to the manual uses and purposes of the actuator.

The arm 48 of the actuator is used for closing the switch manually by rotation of the actuator counterclockwise. Its outer end is offset towards the front at a wedging angle of about 45 degrees as best shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5 and extends out over the outer periphery of the cam 25 from back to front to the right of or clockwise of the cam follower part 28 and in rotary alignment with such cam follower part when the latter is on the outer periphery of cam 25. By rotating the actuator counterclockwise beyond the rotary position shown in Fig. 8, the arm 48 wipes or pushes the cam follower 28 towards the front and off the outer periphery of cam 25 so that the follower lever 26 can rotate clockwise under the pressure of spring contact 3i and allow the contacts to close. The arm 48 will thus push the cam follower off the cam in any rotary position of the latter except, of course, when the cam follower is in the depression 2'! when the switch is already closed.

After closing the switch manually it will stay closed whether the actuator be kept in gear with shaft 35 or not, and hence, it is immaterial whether the button 36 be pulled out or left in the pushed-in position. Stops are provided to limit the rotation of the actuator to its operating range. Thus, the outer end of arm 43 bears against a clock plate stud 49 when the actuator is turned counterclockwise to its limit of travel as shown in Fig. 6. This same stud may also be used as a stop for the up-and-down movement of cam follower lever 26. An extension 50 on the actuator gear sector strikes against the portion of the shaft 51 as shown in Fig. 7 when the actuator is turned clockwise to its limit of travel. The gear 31 can be meshed with gear sector 40 at any point of the range of travel of the actuator. When the actuator is demeshed and free to move, it takes the intermediate position shown in Fig. 8 with arm 48 resting very lightly against cam follower part 28 if the latter is on the upper surface of cam 25, but with insufficient force to push the part 48 off the cam. When the cam follower 28 drops into the cam notch 23, the actuator, if free to move, will swing to the position shown in Fig. 6.

The switch clock described is suitable for various uses but was designed for use in combination with a radio receiver where the switch is used to turn on and off a radio receiving set. A typical manner of use may be as follows: Assuming the user desires to have the radio awake him in the morning, the shaft 35 is pulled out to mesh gears 31 and '24 if not already meshed, and then turned until pointer 22 indicates on dial I! the time at which the radio is to be turned on, it being assumed the clock is in operation and indicating correct time. So far as dial I l is concerned, the setting may be for a. m. or p. m. but by glancing at the indication in window 38, the user can readily determine the proper setting. Thus, if the setting is to be for '7 a. m. and the device is set at 9 p. m., the reading in window 38 should be 10 hours rather than 22 hours. If the switch is closed at the time of the setting, the operator then pushes button 36 in as far as it will go and. turns it clockwise as far as it will go. This results in the condition shown in Fig. 7. The shaft 35 is now pulled out again, and it is immaterial whether merely pulled out part way so as to demesh gears 31 and 40, or all the way to mesh gears 31 and 24. Shortly prior to 7 a. m. the cam follower will be unlocked and ride upon cam 25, and at '7 a. m., will drop into depression 27 and close the radio switch. The switch may be left closed as long as desired, or it may be opened immediately by pushing in on button 36 and turning it counterclockwise. If the switch is opened, it may be opened permanently or temporarily until the next automatic operating period by leaving the push button in or pulling it out.

If the switch is turned off, it may be closed manually and opened manually at any time and as often as desired and permanently left in either condition, or opened and set for an automatic closing action at a selected time, all time setting, automatic, and manual switching operations being controlled by the single axially movable and rotatable button 36.

I may also use the modified form of cam and cam follower represented in Figs. 9 and 10. Here the cam 25 is circular except for a shallow, substantially QO-degree cam notch cut therein at 53. The leading edge of this notch is very gradual and serves no purpose other than to lead the cam following to the short radial trailing edge of such notch and to allow the cam follower to lower itself sufficiently to engage the radial surface of such notch as the cam turns to the automatic switch closing position. The cam follower part of arm 26 in this form of the invention is a projection 54 bent to the rear from the right-hand end of the arm 26 and which normally rests upon the periphery of the cam. This cam follower projection 54 faces the radial surface step in the cam as the cam is advanced. The edge of projection 54 is cut at a wedging angle of about 45 degrees to the plane of the ageszgceo.

oamasshown-in Fig: 10. Hence, with the cam follower rotating clockwise; Fig. 9, and the cam follower 54 resting on the periphery of the cam, the radial surface -or-step of-the'cam depression 53 will move against the sloping edge of the cam follower-projection 54- as the'cam follower rides into the depression, and the resilient cam follower arm 26 will' be pushed sideways towards the front until its cam follower projection'part 54 is pushed off the periphery of'the cam, or more specifically, off the notched portion there of, whereupon the cam follower end of arm 26 drops down to switch closing position corresponding to itsposition shown in Fig. 6. The lever has a portion. 26a. extending downward at the frontside .ofth'e camwhich prevents backward displacement .of the lever when its cam follower part springsba-ck over .theperiphery of the cam.

As shown in Fig. 9, the operating positions .of the parts correspond about to those shown in Fig. 8. Thus, thelactuator isin an intermediate rotary position and the cam 25 is approaching an automatic switch closing operating position where the radial notch inthe cam has engaged the forward edge portion of the projection 54 and is about to start :topush cam follower arm 26 towards the front. When the projection 54 has been pushed off the cam the arm 26 drops down and theswitch-is closed. Thus, in the form of invention shown inFigs. 9 and .10, the arm 26 drops down and: the switch is closed just after the arm has been-pushed sideways towards the front. and off. the cam, whereas in the form of the invention asdescribed in Figs. 6, 7, and -8, the arm 26 drops down andrcloses the switch and then is pushed sideways towards the front.

In the form of the-invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the holding notch 43 of Fig.7 and the cam unlocking action of the actuator from such notch are not required-because in Fig. 9 just as soon'as the arm 26 is raisedabout the cam by the actuator immediately following an automatic switch closing operation, the arm 25 will spring back to the rear and the cam follower projection 56 will move back over the periphery of the cam in overlapping relation with respect *to 'the'radial step therein and cannot again be shoved off sideways automatically until the :cam has made substantially a full revolution. As*a:matter'of fact, after the cam follower-54 has been pushed only part way off the-cam during the approach of an automatic switclroperation, the lever 26 may 'be raised slightly by the actuator so that the follower part 56; is raised above the radial notch and the arm 26 will then spring back to the normal position, andthe automatic :switch operation which was about to occur will not occur until the cam has made substantially a complete revolution.

Except for .the difie'rences described, the .operation of the two forms of cams and cam followers and the actionof the actuator thereon. are the same. Ihus, in-Figs. 9 and 10 the actuator may be turned manually ina clockwise direction to raise theleverQB-and-open the switch if itis closed. Likewise, the actuator may be turned counterclockwise to push the cam follower lever off the cam and close theswitch when the switch is open.

The :cammingqarrangement. shown in Figs. 9 and. 10 .may' ordinarily be set with greater .precision than the. form showniin Figs. 6,7, and 8, and is. somewhatv more simple-to build, and for these'reasons isto be preferred. However, either 8 form of cam and cam follower employs the same actuator for manual switch operation.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Ina clock, a two-position switch, a cam follower lever for operating said switch between its two positions, a clock driven cam for automatically moving said cam follower lever from a first switch operating position to a second switch operating position, an actuator'for moving said cam follower lever in either direction between said switch operating positions, and a shaft having both rotary and axial movements for selectively manually operating said actuator and adjusting the rotary position of said cam with respect to said clock.

2. In a clock, a two-position switch, a cam follower lever for operating said switch between its two positions, a clock driven cam'and cam shaft adjustable with respect to clock time for automatically moving said lever in one direction between its 'two' switch operating positions, an actuator pivoted for rotation on the same axis as said cam for moving said cam follower lever in either direction between its switch operating positions, a manually rotatable shaft parallel with said cam shaft, gearing on said actuator, cam shaft and manually rotatable shaft, the latter shaft being also axially "adjustable such that in one axial position the gearing between said two shafts is in mesh for the purpose of setting the cam shaft, in another axial position the gearing between the actuator and manually rotatable shaft is in mesh for the purpose of manually operating said switch, and in'an'other axial position of said "manually operable shaft it is demeshed from both camshaft and actuator.

3. In a clock, a two-position switch, a cam follower lever for operating said switch, a clock driven cam and cam shaft adjustable with respect to clock time formoving said lever automatically from one switch operating position to another switch operating position at a predetermined time, an actuator pivoted for rotation on said cam shaft adjacent the cam thereon for operating said lever between its two switch operating positions, a manually rotatable and axially adjustable shaft parallel with said cam shaft, a gear drive between said shafts effective only hen the manually adjustable shaft is in one axial position for setting the cam shaft with respect to clock time, a gear drive between the actuatcr and manually adjustable shaft effective only hen the latter is in another axial position to operate said switch, and means for yieldingly resisting the free turning of the manually adjustable shaft only when in he last-mentioned axial position.

4. In a clock, a two-position switch, a pivoted cam follower lever for operating said switch, a clock driven cam against the periphery of which the lever is biasedfor operating saidlever, said lever having sidewise resilience such that it may be sprung sideways from a position where it. rides upon the periphery of said cam to apositionto one .side of said cam, said cam and cam follower lever having contacting surfaces designed to push the lever. sideways from the periphery of the .cam, and a manually rotatable actuator pivoted for rotation on the axisof rotation of thecamandclosely adjacent thereto and having a rang of rotation of less than a complete rotation, said actuator having an. arm extendingbeneath the cam f-ollowerlever such that when the lever is to one side of the cam the actuator may be turned in one direction to lift the lever to where it will spring sideways and come to rest on the periphery of the cam, and said actuator having another arm extending outwardly and laterally of the cam follower lever at a wedging angle thereto such that when the lever is resting on the periphery of the cam and the actuator is turned in the opposite direction the lever is pushed sidewise off of the cam.

5. In a clock, a two-position switch, a cam follower lever for operating said switch, a clock driven disk-shaped cam against which said cam follower lever is biased, said lever being pivoted for movement towards and away from the axis of rotation of said cam to cause operation of said switch between its two positions, said cam follower lever also having lateral resilience so as to have a normal unstressed position in alignment with the periphery of the cam and a stressed position to one side of the cam, said lever being rotatively biased to move inwardly to- "wards the axis of rotation of the cam, said cam periphery having a short radial surface facing forwardly and said cam follower lever having a laterally extending cam follower surface facing the radial surface of the cam at a wedging angle such that when such surfaces engage and the cam is advanced the lever is pushed sideways off the periphery of the cam] and then moves towards the axis of rotation of the cam to operate the switch, and a manual actuator rotatively mounted on the axis of rotation of the cam for moving said cam follower away from such axis to restore it to the periphery of the cam.

ROBERT L. BOYLES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

